salted sugared spiced™: Penne alla Vodka

It has been slightly less than two weeks since there has been a post to the blog although it feels more like nine months have passed. Little did I know a trip to Colorado to attend my nephew's college graduation in May would be akin to experiencing spring, summer-like and winter weather all over the course of just six days and all in just one state. Anticipating those surreal Colorado blue skies, I was also looking forward to going on a few hikes; taking as many spring landscape photos as possible; and, making the drive through Rocky Mountain National Park to the Continental Divide (a bucket list item for the person who shall remain nameless). Instead, we sat for two and half hours under rainy Colorado skies at the graduation ceremony (seems there are no plan B's in Colorado for outdoor graduation ceremonies at one of the best engineering schools in the country); rain and five inches of snow made for treacherous hiking (although my adventuresome family members braved the slippery, muddy conditions); winter-like landscapes dominated my photos; and, Trail Ridge Road going through Rocky Mountain National Park stopped short of the Continental Divide because of the May snow storm. Yet, in spite of some of the unanticipated weather, it was a fun-filled, memorable six days. And those glorious Colorado blue skies? They finally emerged on the last two days of the trip.

For the first four days we stayed in rented condo in Golden (my first VRBO experience), a perfect place for the family to gather for pre-graduation meals as well as to simply hang out. Although my sister and brother-in-law made dinner reservations at some great restaurants, I wanted at least one of our 'family' dinners to be as homemade as possible. To go with the Roasted Eggplant Parmesan (it traveled well) we stopped at the flagship Whole Foods in Boulder to pick up some roasted chickens, cheeses and an assortment of ingredients to make a 'beautiful' salad. And after discovering Piece, Love and Chocolate in Boulder, their Salted Caramel Cake would be our dessert, replacing the sea-salted chocolate chip cookies. The rented condo had almost everything needed to put this dinner together. The only thing missing was a large platter to serve the chicken on (okay so I am a little presentation obsessive). With an antique store only a few blocks away from the condo, I thought maybe I could find something.The large white oval platter in perfect condition with a price tag of only ten dollars seemed to be waiting for me. I thought about leaving the platter behind as I have more than my fair share of white platters, but after it was used for our pre-graduation dinner it took on sentimental value. Little did I know it would also be the perfect size for the Penne alla Vodka I made when I got back home. Serendipity.

After going through some of my new cooking magazines and recently purchased cookbooks, I came across a recipe Penne alla Vodka in the June/July issue (2015) of Fine Cooking that had me salivating. It immediately went to the top of the 'must make' list. What is not to love about pasta, basil and vodka?

Regardless of whether Penne alla Vodka was first made in Bologna or Naples (Italy) or was an American created recipe, it is a dish we should all be making. With the summer season approaching, it is the perfect dish to put basil's abundance to good use. Fine Cooking recommends using whole San Marzano tomatoes and its' juice. I would go even further and say it should be a required ingredient.

And the cheese recommendation? Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Is there any other kind?

The sauce begins with making a garlic infused oil. Five large cloves of smashed garlic are sautéed in a quarter cup of extra-virgin olive oil until the garlic is golden. The recipe called for removing all of the garlic once it had become golden, however, I left one of the cloves in. Next time I might leave one or two more in as I like the flavor of garlic to be more than just a little subtle (but I am a garlic lover). The whole tomatoes (crushed with your hands) and juice along with Aleppo pepper are added to flavored oil and cooked until the sauce begins to thicken (8-10 minutes). The vodka is added next and cooked for a couple of minutes in order for it mellow out in the sauce. The heavy cream and kosher salt is added in last and left to simmer while you make the pasta. Note: I wanted a slightly creamier sauce so I added the additional one tablespoon of heavy cream.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, the penne rigate is cooked until al dente (which is usually one minute less than package cooking directions). I used the ridged or rigate penne as it holds the sauce much better than the smoother penne. Once it reaches the al dente point, the pasta is drained and added to the simmering sauce. The entire mixture continues to cook on medium-low until the pasta begins to absorb some of the sauce.

After transferring the pasta and sauce to a platter, finish with coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and julienned basil. The result is pure heaven on a plate. The only reason I can think of as to why I had never made Penne alla Vodka before was because I thought the sauce was 'difficult' to make. Either I was completely wrong (it wouldn't be the first time) or Fine Cooking's recipe was absolute perfection. I think I have now discovered my new pasta addiction. Think I need to head to the farmer's market this weekend and pick up a few more basil plants. As for the vodka, well the freezer is more than well stocked.

Recipe
Penne alla Vodka (an ever so slight adaptation to Fine Cooking's (June/July 2015) penne alla vodka recipe)

Ingredients
12 ounces penne ziti rigate
28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes in juice, recommend San Marzano
1/4 cup high quality extra-virgin olive oil
5 large cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or can use red pepper flakes)
1/3 cup vodka (recommend Grey Goose)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2-3 Tablespoons fresh basil, julienned
Optional: Can serve goat cheese on the side if you also like a tart cheese flavor added to your tomato based cream sauces.

Directions
1. Pour tomatoes into a large bowl, breaking up with your hands. Set aside.
2. Heat oil and garlic in a 12 inch skillet over medium-low heat. Cook until garlic is golden, approximately 4 minutes. Discard all but one or two cloves of garlic.
3. Add tomatoes and juice along with Aleppo pepper to garlic oil. Raise heat to medium high, cook stirring occasionally until sauce thickens slightly (approximately 8-10 minutes).
4. Add vodka and cook for 2 minutes to infuse and mellow the alcohol.
5. Stir in cream and salt. Mix until well blended. Allow sauce to simmer on low while making the pasta. Note: For a creamier sauce add up to an additional 2 Tablespoons of heavy cream.
6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta 1 minute less than package directions for al dente.
7. Drain al dente pasta and add to sauce. Mix until pasta is coated with sauce. Continue cooking sauce and pasta on medium-low until pasta has absorbed some of the sauce. Approximately 5 minutes.
8. Transfer to large platter.
9. Sprinkle grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and julienned basil over top. Serve immediately.